The legendary singer was due to headline the American Music Inaugural Ball at the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel in Washington DC on Tuesday night to commemorate the Democrat's official assent to the White House.

The event - that also featured an Urban Ball, headlined by rap stars Ludacris and T-Pain - had to be called off after the tickets costing about R4500 each failed to sell out.

AMBITIOUS ARETHA: Music legend Aretha Franklin is pitching for a new job as one of US president Barack Obama's top advisers.

The singer is a huge supporter of the new leader and performed in Washington DC as part of his inauguration ceremony.

But Franklin is eyeing a more prestigious post. In an open letter to Obama, she says, "You should put me on your advisory team. But I am serious if you are interested."

And her first piece of advice concerns the presidential diet:

"Eat plenty of good soul food - Indian, Hawaiian, Chinese and gourmet. Because as Dr Martin Luther King used to say, 'After a good soul meal, I could go around the world on a meal like that'."

FOXXY MOVES: Jamie Foxx gave political party-goers a treat when he stepped on stage for an impromptu performance celebrating the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Foxx took the microphone to introduce R&B singer John Legend at the Declare Yourself party on Sunday.

But before Legend could start the show, Foxx began to rap and beatbox, to the surprise of party guests including Jessica Alba, Hayden Panettiere and Adam Levine. who later performed with his band, Maroon 5.

An onlooker said: "He came out and started doing this rap and everyone started chanting Barack's name."

But Legend was quick to ground the crowd's high hopes for the 44th president, adding: "Just because we love Barack doesn't mean we don't have to hold him accountable too."